Drying apparatus.



F. LAFBUILLE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED r1112. 13, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH Cc.,\vASmNu'mN. b. c.

Patented May 21, 1912.

- 4 SHEETS-SHEB'1 1.

F. LAFEUILLE.

DRYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1911.

1,026,683. I Patented May 21, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. LAFEUILLE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1911.

1,026,683. Patented May 21, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 20., wASHlNGToN. D. c.

, APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1911.

' F. LAFEUILLB.

- DRYING APPARATUS.

Patented May 21, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-.\VASHINGTON. u. C

Fit).

FERNAND LAFEUILLE, or cHA'RMEs, FRANCE;

DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912. Serial No. 608,321.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERNAND LAFEUILLE, a citizen of-the Republic of France, residing at Villa Said, Charmes, by La Fere, Aisne, France, have invented Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to drying appara:: tus, suitable for drying beet root, sugar cane and other aqueous substances, of the kind comprising a rotary cylindrical casing or drum having internal radial blades that serve to lift A the material, and an eccentrically arranged internal cylindrical carrier on to which the material falls and which is covered with one or more sheaths of metallic woven work or net and provided with radially extending external blades. In apparatus of this kind the substance to be dried is delivered at one end of the outer casing or drum, is constantly lifted up by rotation of the drum, and falls in a continuous shower onto the upper part of rotary carrier whereon it lies in a layer of more or less uniform thickness. The hot gases are admitted to the interior of the rotary carrier at its front end and, by means of a suction fan located at the other end of the apparatus, are caused to flow through the sheaths which cover the rotary carrier and through the substance which is deposited thereon, it being presumed that the rotary carrier is closed at the'end opposite to the inlet for the gases.

This invention particularly relates to improvements in the rotary carrier arrangement as will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 of such drawings is a vertical longitudinal section of the complete apparatus, Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, Fig. 3 is a transverse section corresponding to the line A--B of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of the rotary carrier to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 4E illustrating a modified construction of rotary carrier.

The object of the invention is to increase the total output or capacity of the apparatus and economically utilize the heat employed for the purpose of drying the materials treated. For these purposes the rotary carrier of the apparatus according to this invention is constructed as will now be described. As is well known, such rotary carrier constitutes the hot body for drying the substances which fall upon it. Now it should be noted that the materials to be dried only come into contact wit-h the upper half of the carrier and it is advantageous therefore to concentrate the heating agent supplied to the carrier, upon this upper half. The action of the heat radiating from the lower half of the carrier is obviously less intense in consequence of the relative distance away of the materials which are then situated at the bottom of the external casing or drum. For the purpose of obtaining this desirable concentration of the available quantity of heat the improved apparatus is provided with partitions or baffles 1 fixed by means of clamping straps 2 upon a centrally arranged shaft 3 which is freely mounted in bosses 4 from which extend radial arms 5 fixed to the perforated sheet metal wall of a rotary cylindrical carrier 6. Each of these partitions or baffies comprises a semicircular transverse wall 7 permanently shutting 01% the lower half of the cylindrical carrier in the direction of the length thereof, and a horizontal rectangular wall 8 arranged parallel and adjacent to the axis of the cylindrical carrier which, as regards the portion thereof adjacent to such partition or bafile, is thereby divided into two practically equal semi-cylindrical chambers the lower one of which is permanently shut off from the upper by the wall 8. The lower semicylindrical chamber is indicated at 9 and as will be seen the partitions or baffles 1, comprising the walls 7 8 and 9 and constituting the chambers 9 compel the hot gases to pass through the upper part of the cylindrical carrier, that is to say through the part which receives the layer of material to be dried, and not through the lower part which is free from such material, see Fig. 8. The wall or walls 8 of the partition or baffle or partitions or baffles nearest the inlet for the hot gases is or each is in the form of the semi-frustum of an elliptical cone so as to suitably connect the circular supply pipe for the gases with the upper chamber of the cylindrical carrier 6 formed between the cylindrical wall thereof and the horizontal wall 8 of the next partition or baffle. As will be seen in Fig. 4 the vertical semicircular walls 7 of the partitions or bafiles nearest the hot gas supply pipe are suitably fixed to the semi-conical walls 8. This arrangement of battles would become useless if, as in the construction shown in Fig. 5, the

rectangular horizontal wall 8 was replaced by a wall 8 closing the trough or cradle formed by the other walls of the lower semi cylindrical chamber. This semi-cylindrical wall 8 then fulfils the function of the wall 8, but the filling-up effect resulting from the application of the preceding arrangement is lost. This arrangement of bafiies may be combined with devices for facilitating a suitable distribution of the hot gases fiowing along the upper part of the carrier above thebatiles 1 and passing through the perforated wall of the carrier and the material thereon. For this purpose there are provided one or more shutters 10 hinged so as to be moved into positions to completely open or to completely or in part close the upper half of the rotary carrier. Each shutter is constituted by a semicircular plate on the rear face of which is fixed an arm 11 capable of rocking about hinge pins 12 carried on the walls 8 of the baflies 1, in Fig. 1, or in extensions of the adjacent clamping strap 2 in Fig. 5. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, the lower end of the arm 11 extends into the central tube 3 which in this case is tubular, through an appropriate slot formed therein, and is attached to an operating rod 13 situated within and extending along the tubular shaft. At its outer end the rod 13 terminates in an inverted U-shaped part the terminal branch of which is adapted to engage any one of several holes made for this purpose in a plate 1 1 fixed to the tubular shaft at one end, so that according to the position of the hole in which the said end of the rod engages, the corresponding regulating shutter 10 is opened more or less and at the same time is thereby securely held in the position to which it has been adjusted. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the arms 11 are substituted by sectors 10 formed with holes and adapted to move in front of counterplates 10 rigidly fixed to the walls 8.

v The sectors 10 may be fastened on these counterplates in the desired position by means of bolts 10.

An arrangement of partition or bafile as hereinbefore described, with or without the adjustable shutters 10, is arranged between each pair of the boxes 4.

As will be readily understood the shutters 10 are important factors in controlling the fiow of the hot gases delivered through the gas inlet pipe. These gases, by reason of the suction of the fan, have a natural tendency to rapidly reach the opposite end of the rotary carrier so that such end would thus receive the greatest quantity of heat. Now at this part of the carrier the material has already undergone a preliminary drying in the course of its passage through the apparatus from the inlet end, where it is delivered in a wet state, to the other end.

It will be seen that by more or less completely raising one or more of the shutters 10 the hot gases are obliged to traverse the rotary carrier in greater quantity at points more or less near the inlet or front end of the said carrier, in the neighborhood of the point to which the screw conveyer 6 delivers the material, that is to say, precisely at those points where, the material being most moist, it is most necessary to heat it. It will likewise be understood that according to the na ture of the materials to be heated according to the difference in the speeds of rotation of the casing or drum and the rotary carrier, and according to the power of the fans which induce the flow of hot gases, and of which a pressure gage 7 controls the action according to the draft in the exhaust chimney 8 such draft being controlled by a register 8 actuated by a lever 8 which is adapted to work on a sector 8 The inclination of the shutters 10 Inay be varied, as desired, by manipulation of the rods 13. This augmentation of the supply of the hot gases in the first portions of the carrier not only results in the most moist material be ing subjected to the greatest quantities of hot gas, but also assists in the material being conveyed toward the outlet, and in a way regulates the layer of material on the carrier. It should also be remarked that th mass constituted by the baffles or partitions 8 clamped to the central shaft 3 acts as a brake to this shaft and prevents it from rotating, without its being necessary to provide any more or less bulky arrangement for keeping the said shaft stationary and preventing it from being carried around by friction of bosses 4 in which it is freely mounted. The simple weight of the structure formed by the central shaft and its attached parts keeps the whole structure at rest in an unvarying position.

The construction of easing or drum and rotary carrier hereinbefore described may, as shown, be embodied in a machine comprising the change speed gear shown in Fig. 2 which permits of variation of the difference of speed of the outer casing or drum and the rotary carrier 6 in the proportions which are suitable to the variations in the quantity of the moisture in the material treated, even while the apparatus is working. The motion of the pulley driven shaft 15 over which passes a belt 15 coming from a pulley 15 driving the root-cutter or equivalent and the ventilator, these parts not being shown, is transmitted by the bevel pinion 16 and the wheel 17 to a shaft 18 parallel to the axis of the drum. The shaft 18 carries a toothed wheel 19 that gears into a ring of teeth 20 on the outer casing or drum 21 which thus receives a rotary movement at a constant speed. In addition to the toothed wheel 19 the shaft 18 has keyed upon it three pinions 22, 23, 24L of decreasing diameters opposite to which there are arranged to slide on a shaft 25 parallel to the shaft 18, three pinions 22 23 24 forming a sliding train of gear wheels. The pinions 22 and 22 which are in gear in the drawing, drive the shaft 25 at a high speed, the pinions 23 and 23 when in gear drive it at a medium speed and the pinions 24:, 24 when in gear drive it at a low speed, and the shaft 25 drives the rotary carrier and a helical conveyer 28, through chain driving gear 26 and 27 respectively. This arrangement of change speed gear enables full advantage to be taken of the independ ence ofthe movements of the outer casing or drum and rotary carrier. It will be understood that in order to be efficient such an arrangement necessitates the provision of means for taking up any play of the tracks and rollers which support both the outer casing or drum and the rotary carrier so that the relative position of these two inde pendently driven bodies may be invariable. It is an advantage therefore to provide the apparatus with an arrangement of adjustable supporting rollers such as shown in Fig. 3. As will be seen in this figure each supporting roller 29 is mounted on a movable bearing block 30 which is arranged to slide on a fixed slideway 31. The bearing block 30 has connected to it, by means of a pin 32 for example, a nut 33 in which works a screw 34 mounted to rotate but not move endwise in the slideway 31 and having a squared end 35 for an operating key. "With this arrangement the simple rotation of the screw will move the roller toward and from the casing or drum, or the rotary carrier, as the case may be, so that the slack or play caused by wear of the rollers and the roller tracks can be accurately taken up. The adjustable bearing:blocks 30 are fixed to the slideways 31 by bolts after the desired regulation or adjustment has been efiected.

The improved apparatus may be advantageously employed for drying sugar bearing plants, sugar cane, treated and nontreated beet-root, feculent plants, potatoes, manioc, Jerusalem artichokes and other aqueous natural products of this nature although it may obviously be employed in a general manner to the drying of any ma terials. I

What I claim is 1. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for delivering materials to be dried onto the upper part of said carrier, a heating. medium supply conduit for said carrier, means for obstructing the flow of heating medium in the lower part of said carrier, and adjustable means for varying the area of the cross-section of the heating medium passage in the upper part of said carrier.

2. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally ar ranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, 01)- structing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, and adjustable devices adapted to vary the cross sectional area of the upper part of said carrier.

3. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, obstructing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, hinged shutters adapted to vary the cross-sectional area of the upper part of said carrier, and means for adjusting said shutters.

4. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearlngs fixed w1th1n said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in sald bearings, ob-

structing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, hinged shutters adapted to vary the cross-sectional area of the upper part of said carrier, and means for adjusting said shutters.

5. In drying apparatus a rotary drying carrier of cylindrical form, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, baffles freely suspended within said carrier and preventing the flow of heating medium along the lower part thereof, shutters hinged to the upper parts of said baflies, and means for adjusting said shutters.

6. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier,

a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, obstructing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, hinged shutters adapted to vary the cross-sectional area of the upper part of said carrier, and means for adjusting each of said shutters independent-1y of the others. 7. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, obstructing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, hinged shutters adapted to vary the cross-sectional area of the upper part of said carrier, and means for adjusting each of said shutters independently of the others.

8. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, obstructing structures fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, hinged shutters adapted to vary the cross-sectional area of the upper part of said carrier, means for adjusting each of said shutters independently of the others and means for locking said shutters in position after adjustment.

9. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier, means for dellvermg materlal onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, baffies fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier each battle comprising a structure that shuts off a portion of lower part of the length of said carrier from the upper part thereof, and adjustable devices adapted to vary the cross sectional area of the upper part of said carrier. i

10. In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrier of cylindrical form, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, centrally arranged bearings fixed Within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, baflles fixed to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier each baille comprising a horizontally arranged plate arranged near the axis of said carrier and two semi-circular plates fixed one at each end of the said horizontal plate, and adjustable devices adapted to vary the cross sectional area of the upper part of said carrier.

11 In drying apparatus, a rotary drying carrler, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, cent 'ally arranged bearings fixed within said carrier, a shaft freely mounted in said bearings, baffies clamped to said shaft and depending freely in the lower part of said carrier, and adjustable devices adapted to vary the cross sectional area of the upper part of said carrler.

12. In drying apparatus a rotary drying carrier of cylindrical form, means for delivering material onto the upper part of said carrier, bailles freely suspended within said carrier and preventing the flow of heating medium along the lower part thereof, ad-

justable baffles hinged to said suspended battles, a heating medium inlet tube in connection with one end of said carrier and a suspended baflie structure near the said end of the carrier forming with the wall of said carrier a conduit leading heating medium from said inlet tube to the upper part of said carrier.

13. I11 drying apparatus, a casing or drum, rollers on which said drum is mounted to rotate, a perforated carrier eccentrically arranged within said drum, rollers on which said carrier is mounted to rotate, means for rotating said drum and said carrier, and means for varying the relative speeds of said drum and said carrier.

14. In drying apparatus, a casing or drum, a perforated carrier eccentrically arranged within said drum, adjustable rollers on which said drum and said carrier are mounted to rotate, means for rotating said drum and said carrier, and means for varying the relative speeds of said drum and said carrier.

15. In drying apparatus, a casing or drum, a perforated carrier eccentrically arranged within said drum, rollers on which said drum and said carrier are mounted to rotate, bearing blocks for said rollers, ways on which said blocks are mounted to slide, screws mounted to rotate but not move endwise in said ways, nuts engaged by said screws and connected to said blocks, and means for rotating said drum and said carrier.

16. In drying apparatus, a casing or drum, a perforated carrier eccentrically ar ranged within said drum, rollers on which said drum and said carrier are mounted to rotate, bearing blocks for said rollers, ways on which said blocks are mounted to slide, screws mounted to rotate but not move endwise in said ways, nuts engaged by said screws and connected to said blocks, means for rotating said drum and said carrier, and means for varying the relative speeds of said drum and said carrier.

Signed at Paris, France this 28th day of October 1910.

FERNAND LAFEUILLE.

\Vitnesses:

H. C. Coxn, MI UEL FnRoLo.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

